Transportation load and method of preparing the same



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Oct. 30, 1945.

D. F. HEDGES TRANSPORTATION LOAD AND METHOD OF PREPARING THE SAME Filed Oct. 2, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l l INVENTOR 0d. 30, 1945. D. F. HEDGES 2,387,902

TRANSPORTATION LOAD AND METHOD OF PREPARING THE SAME "Filed Oct. 2, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F- i "'W I Zfi 50 26 I v 1% .424 j? 1% 12 J16 INVENTOR Patented Oct. 30, 1945 TRANSPORTATION TJOAD AND METHOD OF PREPARING THE SAME Don F. Hedges, Crown Point, Ind., assignor to Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Application October 2, 1944, Serial No. 556,841

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a transportation load and method of preparing the same and is especially adapted for loads of wide coils of strip metal which lie on their sides in a railroad car.

In the past, the individual coils were banded to prevent uncoiling and then positioned crosswise in the car. As each row was completed, the blockers came in, measured, cut and fitted the timber blocking in place. This procedure was repeated in each row until the loading was completed. Since each blocker performed the job according to his judgment and experience, the jobs varied greatly and much more timber, spikes, and nails were used than necessary. Considerable trouble was experienced by the customers in loosening the blocking and unloading the material. Often the material and the car were damaged when ripping the blockin out.

It is an object of my invention to prepare the load into a solid unit which may float longitudinally of the car.

Another object is to provide skidways which will function as a cushioning medium to absorb the energy of the impacts due to jolting and bumping.

A further object is to assemble the load in a standard method so that the blocking and lash ing can be easily loosened and removed.

These and other objects will be more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional View taken on the line II of Figure 3;

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation on the line II--II of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an end view with the end cleat removed;

Figure 4 is a view showing the means for preventing uncoiling of the coil;

Figure 5 is a plan view of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 shows how the skid plates are made and fastened to the car floor.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the reference numeral 2 indicates the wide coils of strip which are to be loaded into the car. To prevent uncoiling, straps 4 are used for binding each coil into a tight unit. Timber members 6 and 8 are spiked together by means of spike ID as shown in Figure 6 to form skids l2 which extend the length of the car in order that there will be no joints or cracks to prevent longitudinal movement of the load thereon. In preparing the load, skids l2 and skid plates I 4, which also extend the length of the car, are placed loosely on the car floor It in their approximate positions and the end stop cleats iii are laid crosswise of the car at each end of the skids and spiked to the car floor with end clearance 20 provided between each cleat l8 and the end of the car. Coils A and B are then brought into position at one end of the car between the skids and rest on skid plates I4 a short distance 22 from the stop cleats It as indicated on the drawings. A short longitudinal strap 24 is threaded through the coils A and B, drawn taut and clamped to bind them tightly together. The outside skids l2 are then wedged solidly against the coils with cleats 25 which are braced against the car stakes 28. The inside skids I2 are wedged against the coils by the separator cleats 3i! and spikes driven through timbers 8 at coils A and B to fasten the skids H to the car floor. A second strap 32 is threaded through coils A and B with its ends extending so that it can be used to bind the next two coils C and D to coils A and B. Coils C and D are then brought into the car and a third strap 34 passed through the openings therein with its ends extending therefrom. With the coils C and D resting on skids l2 and skid plates 14 adjacent coils A and B the strap 32 is passed through the openings in coils C and D and clamped to join the two pairs of coils tightly together. Outside skids 42 are then wedged and spiked at coils C and D. This procedure is repeated for each pair of coils progressively until the car is loaded. In planning the load, it is desirable to locate the load so that there is approximately the same amount of space 22 between the end of the load and the stop cleats l8 at each end of the car, thus dividing and limiting the. end travel of the floating load on the car. To form a more solid unit and as an added measure of safety, an outside strap 36 is threaded through the openings of all the coils on each side of the load and around the outside of the objects, stretched taut and clamped. This unit load resting on the skids l2 and skid plates I4 is called a floating load since it is free to skid longitudinally within the limits of the stop cleats it which prevent the load from hearing on the end wall or door of the car. The friction of the floating load sliding on the skids l2 and skid plates 54 absorbs the energy and the inertia of the load when the car is bumped and jolted, so that the car does not absorb the full impact of the bumping and jolting. In unloading the car, the individual coils 2 can be removed one at a time without disturbing any other coil and after removal of the load, the blocking is accessibl and can be easily removed without damage to the car.

While one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

Iclaim:

1. The method of preparing a transportation load of hollow cylindrical objects for transit in a railway car or the like which comprises placing skids and skid plates loosely on the floor in their approximate positions extending longitudinally of the car, placing a group of objects side by side at one end of the car with their axes extending longitudinally of the car, fastening the group of objects together, wedging the skids against the objects and fastening them in place, fastening the skid plates to the car floor, placing a second group of objects in the car on the skids and skid plates adjacent the first group, fastening the second group tightly to the first group, wedging the skids against the second group, and progressively fastening additional groups to each preceding group in like manner throughout the length of the car to form one major solid unit which is free to move a limited amount longitudinally of the car.

2. The method of preparing a transportation load of hollow cylindrical objects for transit in a railway car or the like which comprises placing skids and skid plates loosely on the floor in their approximate positions extending longitudinally of the car, placing a group of objects side by side at one end of the car with their axes extending longitudinally of the car, fastening the group of objects together, wedging the skids against the objects and fastening them in place, fastening the skid plates to the car fioor, placing a second group of objects in the car on the skids and skid plates adjacent the first group, fastening the second group tightly to the first group, wedging the skids against the second group, progressively fastening additional groups to each preceding group in like manner throughout the length of the car to form one major solid unit which is free to move a limited amount longitudinally of the car, fastening the first and last groups together by means of longitudinal straps, and fastening end cleats to the car floor to limit the longitudinal movement of the load.

3. The method of preparing a transportation load of hollow cylindrical objects for transit in a railway car or the like which comprises placing skids and skid plates loosely on the floor in their approximate positions extending longitudinally of the car, placing a pair of objects side by side at one end of the car with their axes extending longitudinally of the car, fastening the pair of objects together by means of a strap through the openings in the objects, wedging the outside skids against the objects and fastening them in place, wedging the inside skids against the objects, fastening the skid plates to the car floor, threading a second strap through the first pair of objects with its ends extending therefrom, placing a second pair of objects in the car on the skids and skid plates adjacent the first pair with a third strap passing through the openings of the second pair with its ends extending therefrom, strapping the second pair of objects tightly to the first pair by means of the second strap, wedging the skids against the second pair of objects, and progressively fastening additional pairs of objects to each preceding pair in like manner throughout the length of the car to form one solid major unit.

4. The method of preparing a transportation load of hollow cylindrical objects for transit in a railway car or the like which comprises placing skids and skid plates loosely on the floor in their approximate positions extending longitudinally of the car, placing a pair of objects side by side at one end of the car with their axes extending longitudinally of the car, fastening the pair of objects together by means of a strap through the openings in the objects, wedging the outside skids against the objects and fastening them in place, wedging the inside skids against the objects, fastening the skid plates to the car floor, threading a second strap through the first pair of objects with its ends extending therefrom, placing a second pair of objects in the car on the skids and skid plates adjacent the first pair with a third strap passing through the openings of the second pair with its ends extending therefrom, strapping the second pair of objects tightly to the first pair by means of the second strap, wedging the skids against the second pair of objects, progressively fastening additional pairs of objects to each preceding pair in like manner throughout the length of the car to form one solid major unit, passing an outside strap through the openings of the objects on each side of the car and around the outside of the objects, stretching it taut and clamping its ends together, and fastening end cleats to the car floor to limit the longitudinal movement of the load.

5. A transportation load of hollow cylindrical objects lying on their sides in a railway car or the like comprising a longitudinal row of groups of objects arranged side by side with their axes extending longitudinally of the car, each group being fastened to the group adjacent thereto to form a solid unit, skid plates fastened to the car bottom and extending the length of the load under the center of each object, and skids extending the length of the load and contacting the periphery of the objects between their bottoms and axes to prevent transverse movement of the load.

6. A transportation load of hollow cylindrical objects lying on their sides in a railway car or the like comprising two similar longitudinal rows of objects arranged with their axes extending longitudinally of the car, means extending through the openings in the objects for fastening the first object in each row together, means extending through the openings in the objects for fastening each object in one row to the adjacent object in the other row and to the preceding object in both rows, means extending through the openings in the objects in each row for fastening the first and last objects together to form a solid unit, skid plates fastened to the car bottomand extending the length of the load under the center of each object, and skids extending the length of the load and contacting the periphery of the objects between their bottoms and axes to prevent transverse movement of the load.

DON F. HEDGES. 

